Walkability Research Articles

Feasibility of utilization of recycled HDPE in manhole covers for urban traffic areas and industrial zones

The consumption of plastic raw materials has been exponentially growing throughout the world in the last decade and so has, in the same proportion, their associated waste. Recycling through the mechanical treatment of the heavy fraction of these plastics is the most economic and the safest alternative to use this waste and to recirculate it for reuse within the same industry or for other related industries located near the place where the waste is generated. In this paper, a study of characterization and post-processing of recycled high density polyethylene received by a hazardous waste manager in southern Spain is presented, an area in which containers, Intermediate Bulk Containers, and drums, originally used for oil products from refineries and petrochemical industries nearby, are employed. These high density polyethylene materials are validated to meet the requirements of the harmonized standards to be used as self-supply in the production of manhole covers. EN 124–6:2015 standard allows the use of plastic materials such as PE or PP, even using material externally reprocessed, such as material derived from thermoplastic products that have not been previously used as lids or manhole covers. Class A-15 and B-125 of the standard are oriented for the construction of these types of elements to cover or close in certain urban spaces such as pedestrian areas, parking areas or multi-story car parks for vehicles. The study shows that the recycled material fully complies with the density; it keeps unalterable during fire test after application of the coating, there are no adverse effects on artificial ageing; the decrease of the average value of the tensile impact strength by 21.84%; and achieves 6 mm of maximum deflection against the test load Fp (45.3 MPa). Therefore, it can be considered a valid scenario for the effective use of solid plastic waste in products that make up part of the urban or industrial areas, as an example of complete circularity material and offers a valid alternative to the end-of-waste condition.

S7-4 Active transport to physical exercise places among older adults living in different urban zones

Abstract Purpose Motorized transport to and from places of physical exercise (PE) causes considerable amounts of carbon emissions. We study how locations of home and PE place on urban zones (UZs), reflecting options for transport modes, relate to use of active transport (AT) among older adults. No previous knowledge on the topic exists. Methods Data of AGNES study participants reporting at least one regular PE place <10 km from home (n = 819, mean 79 years, 58% women, Jyväskylä Finland) were combined with geospatial data on UZ. Using digital mapping, participants located their PE places (N = 2171) and reported transport mode (active/passive) used. Type of UZ (pedestrian/public transport/car) of participants’ home and PE places and distance from home to PE place were defined in GIS. For analyses, participants were grouped according to home UZ, shares of PE places in each UZ defined, and differences in total number of PE places and median distance tested with Kruskal-Wallis test. In each group, use of AT (vs. passive) to PE place was regressed for PE place’s UZ and distance, and adjusted for car availability, difficulty walking 2 km, age, sex, and years of education using a mixed model nested in participants. Results In all groups, participants had more PE places in their home UZ than in other UZs. Median distance to and number of PE places did not differ across groups (for both p>.05). Overall, between-participant differences explained 22 % of total variance in AT. Compared to AT to PE place in home UZ, odds for AT were higher to PE place in car zones among those living in pedestrian (OR 5.1 95%CI 1.7-15.4) and public transport zones (OR 3.6 95%CI 1.3-8.4). The odds for AT were lower to PE place in pedestrian zones among those living in public transport (OR 0.2 95%CI 0.1-0.4) or car zones (OR 0.02 95%CI 0.001-0.3). In all groups, longer distance was negatively associated with AT. Conclusions Older adults’ transport mode choices cannot be concluded from the UZ of home or PE place. Proximity to PE places is important to facilitate AT use. Funding Source Ministry of Education and Culture.

Inequalities in neighbourhood features within children's 20-minute neighbourhoods and variation in time spent locally, measured using GPS

There has been a growing interest in policies that encourage local living by promoting accessible and walkable communities, such as the 20-minute neighborhood concept. Despite the widespread adoption of this policy worldwide, little research has been conducted on the characteristics of children's 20-minute neighborhoods and their association with time spent locally.This study aimed to explore the features of Scottish children's 20-minute neighborhoods by analysing an 800 m road and path network buffer surrounding 687 children's homes. Based on existing literature, the study identified key features associated with children's time spent locally and the 20-minute neighborhood policy. The study then examined variations in these features by socioeconomic status, urbanicity, and gender.The findings revealed significant inequalities in the presence of health-benefiting (e.g., green spaces, recreational facilities, healthy food outlets) and health-harming (e.g., major roads, unhealthy commodity retailers) environments within children's 20-minute neighborhoods. Children from more deprived areas had access to more of both types of environments. The study also found that having a school within a 20-minute neighborhood was associated with an increased amount of time spent locally (IRR 1.62, 95% CI 1.5 to 1.8, p<0.001).The study suggests that the 20-minute neighborhood policy should extend beyond mere access to local amenities and prioritise creating healthy 20-minute neighborhoods, particularly in socioeconomically deprived areas. The research highlights the importance of promoting equal access to quality local environments, which can contribute to improved health and well-being outcomes for children.

Public acceptability of policies to reduce urban air pollution: A population-based survey experiment

Low-emission zones, congestion charges and pedestrian areas have the potential to improve urban air quality. However, the lack of public and political support for these policies is often a significant obstacle to their introduction. In this article, we present the results of two studies. First, we investigated the public acceptability of three policies to reduce urban air pollution: pedestrianization, low emission zones and congestion charges. Second, based on an experimental online survey, we examined the effect of various framing conditions on the acceptability of congestion charges. The results show, first, that public acceptability is higher for pedestrianization and low emission zones and lower for congestion charging. Second, we find a positive effect on acceptability of information emphasizing the benefits of congestion charges and of positive labelling, comparing the wording “environmental contribution” with “urban toll”; and a negative effect of making political ideology prominent. Our findings suggest that while some interventions aimed at mitigating urban air pollution may be more readily supported than others, their acceptability can be enhanced (or diminished) through careful design and effective communication.

Road Safety Criteria for Mid-Block Pedestrian Crossing Facility and Application of ITS Technologies

This paper describes an attempt made to evaluate the pedestrian's road crossing facility at midblock to relate with pedestrian road crossing behaviour and identify the variables influencing pedestrian road crossing decisions. The decision of pedestrians on road crossing depends on many other elements like yielding behaviour of a driver, vehicle speed, roadway width, traffic volume etc. Pedestrians road crossing data collected through videographic survey at Kozhikode city, Kerala, India were used to evaluate the pedestrian crossing facility. Regression model has been developed considering the pedestrian waiting time as dependent variable and vehicle speed and volume as independent variable. Further, a computational tool is developed to derive suitable criteria for regulating the number of pedestrian phases based on the percentage of vehicles in the queue formation for varying levels of interruptions and vehicle arrival rate. The criteria has been derived such that the negative force exerted by vehicles and drivers during pedestrian road crossing to a minimum level, through the implementation of signal control using Intelligent Transport System (ITS) technologies. Further, the queuing analysis results helps to identify the criteria for proposing grade-separated crossing based on the threshold value of the percentage of vehicles in the queue formation. From the queuing analysis, it was found that, the percentage of vehicle in queue has been increased from 19.44% to 38.89% for the arrival rate of 1200v/h when the number of pedestrian interruptions per hour is increased from 20 to 40. Also, it is observed that when the arrival rate increases from 1200 to 1800 v/h the percentage of vehicle in queue increases 19.44% to 77.78% for 20 number of pedestrian interruptions. The prediction tool developed may help the transportation policymakers and highway officials to evaluate the field conditions and to identify suitable control measures for the pedestrian facility with improved pedestrian safety and vehicular traffic efficiency.

The Association Between Walkability, Zoning Codes, and Neighborhood Wealth in Bergen County, NJ

Walkability is the measure of how friendly an area is to walking, and is important due to the multiple economic, social, environmental, and health-related benefits of walkable communities. A wealth of literature exists on its impacts, however a gap remains in its association with income levels and the zoning laws which affect it. A correlational analysis of multiple factors of towns in Bergen County, NJ, using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, found that towns of higher income tended to be less walkable, due to low land use diversity, suggesting that these towns could increase their walkability through the incorporation of different types of land use, most notably, commercial zones. The results of this study could be used to advise the government of Bergen County on future redevelopment and provide valuable information for the creation of zoning laws for new developments in the U.S.

Ring attractor bio-inspired neural network for social robot navigation.

We introduce a bio-inspired navigation system for a robot to guide a social agent to a target location while avoiding static and dynamic obstacles. Robot navigation can be accomplished through a model of ring attractor neural networks. This connectivity pattern between neurons enables the generation of stable activity patterns that can represent continuous variables such as heading direction or position. The integration of sensory representation, decision-making, and motor control through ring attractor networks offers a biologically-inspired approach to navigation in complex environments. The navigation system is divided into perception, planning, and control stages. Our approach is compared to the widely-used Social Force Model and Rapidly Exploring Random Tree Star methods using the Social Individual Index and Relative Motion Index as metrics in simulated experiments. We created a virtual scenario of a pedestrian area with various obstacles and dynamic agents. The results obtained in our experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of this architecture in guiding a social agent while avoiding obstacles, and the metrics used for evaluating the system indicate that our proposal outperforms the widely used Social Force Model. Our approach points to improving safety and comfort specifically for human-robot interactions. By integrating the Social Individual Index and Relative Motion Index, this approach considers both social comfort and collision avoidance features, resulting in better human-robot interactions in a crowded environment.

Ensuring the quality of atmospheric air on main streets and in residential buildings by means of planning and landscaping

Introduction. The level of concentration of toxic substances in the atmospheric air of main streets is largely determined by their aeration regime, established due to exposure to air flow of buildings and green spaces. Therefore, when developing master plans of cities and projects of detailed planning of residential formations to ensure hygienic standards for the expected content of emissions of motor transport in the air of transport communications and adjacent residential buildings, the influence of urban factors on wind speed and direction one should take into account.&#x0D; The aim of the study is the justification and selection of urban planning measures to reduce atmospheric air pollution from main roads and streets by exhaust gases of motor transport.&#x0D; Material and methods. Full-scale surveys of transport infrastructure facilities in large cities and modelling of the processes of dispersion of exhaust gases of cars in the air using models of residential buildings and green spaces.&#x0D; Results. The regularities of the formation of the aeration regime of city streets and the dispersion of car emissions behind the landscaping strips and in residential buildings have been established. Optimal variants of planning, development and landscaping of main streets have been determined, ensuring the reduction of gas contamination of pedestrian zones, public spaces and residential areas.&#x0D; Limitations. The choice of landscaping objects for urban roads and streets for field observations and modelling of car emissions dispersion processes is limited to strips of green spaces of a blown and dense construction, without taking into account the peculiarities of the transformation of the air flow and reducing gas pollution under the influence of landscaping strips of an openwork design.&#x0D; Conclusions. Reduction of gas pollution of main roads and streets is ensured by choosing the direction of the route and planning, and building techniques. At the same time, it is necessary to use environmental protection linear-strip landscaping facilities of optimal design. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that frontal multi-sectional buildings and strips of green spaces of windproof dense construction stimulate the appearance of stable vortices with a closed circulation of impurities in street canyons and on sections of highways. When choosing urban planning solutions to ensure the quality of atmospheric air of transport communications and adjacent residential buildings in various landscape and climatic conditions, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the tasks arising in this case to regulate the aeration regime and reclamation of the microclimate as a whole.

Modeling the Influence of Smartphone Distraction and Pedestrian Characteristics on Pedestrian Road Crossing Behavior

With the increase in the use of technology, smartphone distraction has become a significant pedestrian safety issue. Research on pedestrian smartphone distraction has been conducted mainly in western countries, and there is a scarcity of research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study is the first attempt to investigate the effect of smartphone distraction on pedestrians’ road crossing behavior in India. We conducted a survey of pedestrians, with 560 respondents (63.4% males), about their demographics and walking characteristics, pedestrian behavior (violations, errors, lapses, aggressive behaviors, and positive behaviors), and smartphone distraction. The associations of smartphone distraction and pedestrian characteristics with pedestrians’ road crossing behavior were identified by developing structural equation models (SEMs). The strongest influence of smartphone distraction was found to be on violations (factor loading = 0.50), followed by errors (factor loading = 0.44), lapses (factor loading = 0.41), and aggressive behaviors (factor loading = 0.37). No significant effect of smartphone distraction was observed on the positive behaviors. Male pedestrians were more likely to commit violations, errors, lapses, and aggressive behaviors, whereas female pedestrians showed more positive behaviors. Older pedestrians showed more positive behavior than young pedestrians. Pedestrians who walk at high speeds tend to engage in a high number of violations. Pedestrians with a crash history were more likely to commit violations and show aggressive behaviors than those with no prior crash experience. The study findings can aid policymakers in understanding the smartphone distraction habits of pedestrians, which are required to design behavior-based road safety interventions.

A comparative study of air pollution levels in different urban street configurations in Pangyo New Town, South Korea

Despite the expanding recognition of the impact of urban design on the well-being of citizens in planned communities, air quality concerns are frequently neglected in the development of new towns. This study aimed to address this gap in the literature by conducting comparative field assessments of different street structures in South Korea's new towns, measuring the concentrations of ultrafine particles (UFP), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and black carbon (BC) in street canyons with varying aspect ratios (ARs) and road configurations. During a six-day period in October, measurements were taken both before and after business hours in pedestrian zones with ARs of 2.5 and 10, as well as vehicle zones with open and loop roads. The findings revealed that the concentrations of UFP, PM2.5, and BC were consistently higher in a deeper canyon (AR 10) than in a shallower canyon (AR 2.5) in the pedestrian zone throughout the day, with the difference being most pronounced during periods of heightened commercial activity. Additionally, vehicle zones with loop roads had higher levels of air pollution, particularly in terms of UFP and PM2.5 concentrations, compared to open roads, regardless of vehicle traffic volume. The study highlights the importance of evaluating the influence of street configuration on air circulation, regulating emissions from direct sources, and adopting a comprehensive approach to urban planning to improve air quality and safeguard public health in densely populated areas.

CFD simulation and optimization of ventilation for the layout of community architecture inspired by fishbone form

The rise in urbanization has led to an increase in high-density communities. Our study drew inspiration from the fishbone structure and applied a bionic architectural layout to optimize the wind environment within the pedestrian areas of these communities. Additionally, our study delved into the intrinsic principles and simulation-based optimization methods for the wind environment in the pedestrian areas of the fishbone bionic architectural complex. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation technology, our study simulated the building models both before and after the community renovation. Furthermore, our study simulated nine architectural complex models proposed by our study, considering the architectural layout and facade height within the community. By verifying and comparing the simulation results, our study observed that the fishbone bionic architectural form significantly improved the wind environment within the community’s pedestrian areas. Regarding the facade height, our study discovered that taller architectural units should be positioned away from the prevailing wind direction to enhance the airflow within the architectural complex. This research carries substantial implications for the renovation and planning of residential communities, particularly in large urban settings with a substantial population.

Numerical analysis of solid barrier heights and trees with porosity properties influence on the automobile's emission dispersion in the residential area

This paper is investigated the comprehensive study of the nitrogen dioxide pollution distribution in a specific street in Almaty city, Kazakhstan. It was given a generalized description of the porous medium and the effect of porosity on the spread of nitrogen dioxide. The calculated obtained results were analyzed by comparison with the previous data. Based on the study of different cases, it was detected that the existing of superposed barrier along the road essentially decreases the level of greenhouse gas concentrations near the pedestrian zone. The optimal variant of the combined barrier with a height of 2.5 m and a tree with a total height of 15 m, where the stem is 3 m, and the crown with a height of 12 m, has the property of permeability(porosity), was chosen. This type of barrier normalizes the ventilation properties in the street canyon and protects the pedestrian zone from poisonous gasses.

A Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling Approach for the Numerical Verification of the Bioclimatic Design of a Public Urban Area in Greece

Recent recordings of urban overheating reveal a dramatic increase in cities’ population exposure to heatwaves. Heatwaves’ implications are escalated in urban environments due to the intensification of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. To combat the overheating and UHI adverse effects, novel urban rehabilitation actions are needed based on reliable predictions of appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) (such as pedestrian-level air temperature and thermal comfort) for alternative design scenarios. The objective of the current study is to present the application of a previously developed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model for the calculation of urban microclimatic conditions for the assessment of the UHI and thermal-comfort conditions in a central urban area in the city of Heraklion in Crete, Greece. Empirical validation of the model is performed through comparisons with monitored microclimate data (i.e., air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed) and actual sensation vote recordings found in another research study. In compliance with the latter, the validation campaign is conducted for a typical hot summer day in July 2009 from 10:00 to 16:00. The model is then used to assess the UHI effects for both the existing urban configuration and a given suggested environmental upgrade of the space. Simulations of the existing situation reveal that the squares located in the studied area already stand for efficient resistances to urban overheating, and heat vulnerabilities are detected mainly in non-shaded traffic and pedestrian roads perimetric to the squares. Based on the CFD simulations, the suggested environmental upgrading plan exhibits a reduction in the peak mean air temperature of 0.46 °C, and thermal comfort is improved by at least 5% (based on SET) throughout the studied area in summer. At the same time, simulations of winter conditions suggest that there are limited potential pedestrian thermal-sensation and building heating penalties under the considered renovation scenario.

Numerical investigation of thermal-humidity environment in pedestrian area of ecological community with the porous pavement in arid areas

In this paper, the water evaporation from porous pavement is used to improve the thermal-humidity environment (THE) in pedestrian area of ecological community at the large wind and sand, and arid areas, such as Lanzhou in northwest China. A simulation model is established to analyze the THE of ecological community with the porous pavement in arid areas. And the water evaporation is considered from plant transpiration and porous pavement in this model. The simulation results are compared with the experimental results, the relative error was less than 13.5%. At the same time, the THE is also analyzed under different building layout, building spacing and building height. The results show that the average value of universal thermal climate index (UTCI) in pedestrian area increases with the building height, while the minimum value has little difference. This means that the local thermal discomfort would more likely occurs in ecological community with the building height increase. The local value of UTCI in pedestrian area decreases by about 8℃ when the building spacing is changed from 10 m to 40 m. The uniformity of UTCI is greatly improved when the building spacing rises to 25 m. The array building layout should be adopted in Lanzhou, the building spacing should be at least 25 m when the building height is 50 m. The above research results can provide theoretical guidance for improving the thermal comfort level of ecological community in Lanzhou.

Evaluating the effects of a classroom-based bicycle education intervention on bicycle activity, self-efficacy, personal safety, knowledge, and mode choice

IntroductionThis study provides an evaluation of the impacts of classroom-based adult bicycle education on bicycling activity, confidence and competency self-perceptions while bicycling, knowledge of the bicycling rules of the road, and mode choice in a sample of residents of the San Francisco Bay Area in the US.MethodsChanges were measured with self-administered surveys completed before and six weeks after the course intervention. Self-reported data were validated using objective data collected using the Ride Report app. We used multivariable regression analyses to examine changes in self-reported data over time.ResultsParticipants reported statistically significant increases in confidence while bicycling in both traffic and car-free areas, feelings of safety while bicycling in car-free areas, and knowledge of the rules of the road. While there were significant changes in the proportion of trips by foot, transit and TNC, there was no change in the count of trips made by bicycle.DiscussionAlthough overall changes in bicycling activity did not change, participants with initial low confidence increased bicycling activity and feelings of safety in traffic, compared to participants overall. Classroom-based bicycle education courses can improve bicycling confidence self-perception and increase knowledge of the bicycling rules of the road.

Temporal trends in personal protective equipment (PPE) debris during the COVID-19 pandemic in Çanakkale (Turkey)

This study examines trends in PPE (masks, gloves) and disinfecting wipes over three years of the pandemic. The densities of discarded masks, wet wipes, and gloves (personal protective equipment: PPE), were quantified on the streets of Canakkale, Turkey during similar time periods in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Geotagged images of PPE on the streets and sidewalks were documented with a smartphone, while the track of an observer was recorded using a fitness tracker app along a 7.777 km long survey route in the city center, parallel to the Dardanelles Strait. A total of 18 surveys were conducted over three years, and the survey route was subdivided into three zones based on utilization patterns: pedestrian zone, traffic zone and a recreational park zone. The combined densities of all types of PPE density were high in 2020, lower in 2021 and highest in 2022. The within year trend showed an increase over the three study years. The average density of gloves declined from an initially high level in 2020, when the SARS-CoV-2 virus was thought to be transmitted by contact, to near zero in 2021 and to zero in 2022. Densities of wipes were similar in 2020 and 2021 and higher in 2022. Masks were initially difficult to procure in 2020, and their densities progressively increased during that year reaching a plateau in 2021 with similar densities in 2022. PPE densities were significantly lower in the pedestrian route relative to the traffic and park routes, which were not different from each other. The partial curfews implemented by the Turkish government and the effects of prevention measures taken on the PPE concentration in the streets are discussed along with the importance of waste management practices.

Geoinformation modeling methods application in the recreational urban area potential analysis

The article analyzes the greened common area development of Moscow city. Based on the data of OpenStreetMap, the Moscow open data portal, the public cadastral map and satellite images, condition assessment and green areas structure spatial analysis of the recreation facilities of the studied city districts were carried out, which allowed to identify pedestrian inaccessibility areas of parks and squares.

How visible street greenery moderates traffic noise to improve acoustic comfort in pedestrian environments

The effects of street greenery on the perceptual response to the acoustic comfort of pedestrian streets in traffic noise environments were examined through an experimental study that considered an audio-visual environment with no/low, medium, and high street greenery, dominated by road traffic, anthropogenic, and natural sounds. The results showed that the differences in the acoustic comfort evaluations without and with medium or high greenery were statistically significant. Under the effects of greenery, the acoustic comfort evaluation of each sound type dominating the environments without greenery increased by as much as one level, based on a five-point ordinal category scale. Considering various greenery conditions, dominant sound sources, and environmental functions, greenery was the most significant factor affecting acoustic comfort, and evaluations of pedestrian environments without greenery increased more in leisure environments (0.65–1.42) than in transportation environments (0.45–1.29) when road traffic sounds were at lower levels (50, 55, and 60 dBA) and anthropogenic and natural sounds were predominantly heard and influenced by street greenery. However, sound levels were the most significant factor affecting acoustic comfort when road traffic at 50–70 dBA was predominantly heard. Based on the negative linear relationships between sound levels and acoustic comfort evaluations for no/low, medium, and high greenery conditions, the evaluations affected by greenery increased with the increase in road traffic sound levels in transportation environments, whereas those influenced by either high or medium greenery in leisure environments tended to decrease gradually. These audio-visual perception-based findings provide reference guidance for PE quality optimization and related urban design considering comfortable sound environments.

Pedestrian Road Traffic Accidents in Metropolitan Areas: GIS-Based Prediction Modelling of Cases in Mashhad, Iran

This study utilised multi-year data from 5354 incidents to predict pedestrian–road traffic accidents (PTAs) based on twelve socioeconomic and built-environment factors. The research employed the logistic regression model (LRM) and the fuzzy-analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) techniques to evaluate and assign weights to each factor. The susceptibility map for PTAs is generated using the “Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS)”. Subsequently, the probability of accidents in 2020 was predicted using real multi-year accident data and the Markov chain (MC) and cellular automata Markov chain (CA-MC) models, with the prediction accuracy assessed using the Kappa index. Building upon promising results, the model was extrapolated to forecast the probability of accidents in 2023. The findings of the LRM demonstrated the significance of the selected variables as predictors of accident likelihood. The prediction approaches identified areas prone to high-risk accidents. Additionally, the Kappa for no information (KNO) statistical value was calculated for both the MC and CA-MC models, which yielded values of 0.94 and 0.88, respectively, signifying a high level of accuracy. The proposed methodology is generalizable, and the identification of high-risk locations can aid urban planners in devising appropriate preventive measures.

Optimizing block morphology for reducing traffic pollutant concentration in adjacent external spaces of street canyons: A machine learning approach

Residential blocks located in near-road environments are exposed to traffic-related air pollution that adversely affects the health of residents. Pedestrian height areas in adjacent external spaces (AES) of street canyons are most severely affected by traffic pollutants. In order to find block morphological optimization strategies that can mitigate the concentration of pollutants in the area, machine learning (ML) regression models were investigated to replace the time-intensive computer fluid dynamic (CFD) model. Data from 1000 CFD simulation cases were used to train and test the ML models. The best surrogate model was selected and coupled with optimization algorithms. Both single-objective and multi-objective optimization problems based on regional concentration parameters were discussed. The results showed that the block's standard deviation of building height (BHstd) was an essential morphological parameter that can effectively impact the pollutant concentration. The effect mechanism of the building height at different locations in the block on the concentration of the pollutant in the different regions also varies. The optimum block configuration obtained from the optimizations coupled ML model can facilitate reducing pollutant concentrations. This study provides a framework for residential block design optimization that can help urban designers efficiently evaluate and select block layouts conducive to reducing the impact of traffic pollutants.